New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the world's largest Open University, offers free vocational course which is benefiting the jail inmates across the nation. As per sources, the initiative for the first time was launched in Delhi's Tihar Jail in 1994. This year onwards, the university has announced free education.
According to IGNOU, aim of the programme is to provide an opportunity for inmates to return to mainstream life with quality education and future development, both morally and vocationally. IGNOU mentioned that they (inmates) can enrol any time of the year, appear as and when they are ready to take their examinations and get certificates which will ensure them vocational advantage as well as access to quality life. The eligibility criteria laid down by the University is that the inmates must be at least 18 years old.
IGNOU said that in Jabalpur Central Jail's centre, 115 prisoners had taken admission to various programmes in the academic session that began in January. As per sources, IGNOU's regional centre at Cochin is also gearing up for more enrolments. Through its special study centres under the Council of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), it enrolled 57 jail inmates for CLP in 2008. Thirty-four prisoners from Thiruvananthapuram's central jail and 23 prisoners from Kozhikode sub jail enrolled in CLP.
Further, in January, the Haryana government inaugurated an IGNOU study centre in Karnal Jail. Ashok Sharma, Regional Director of IGNOU said that about 100 prisoners of Karnal jail will be given admission in the first phase. The jail superintendent has been appointed the coordinator of this Special Study Centre. In Cuttack, IGNOU has centres in two central jails - Choudwar and Berhampur. In Rajasthan, it has set up two study centres at the Ajmer and Jaipur central jails. The central jail in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, will soon have a centre as well. Bachelor's courses in arts, commerce and social work as well as certificate courses are available at these study centres.
